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Finance and Fintech

Disrupting the financial world

The Master in Finance and Fintech aims to enable young professionals to deal with the digital transformation that is disruptively changing the financial market, by combining traditional financial skills with deep understanding of new digital technologies. The new emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data analytics are deeply modifying the landscape of the financial market, creating immense opportunities for incumbent players but also serious threats from innovative start-ups.

The use of new technologies for financial applications has become vital for banking and insurance companies, which must acquire a thorough understanding of these tools to continue competing in the changing world. Peer-to-peer lending, mobile payments and Insurtech are not futurist trends, but factual reality. To seize the opportunities and face the challenges offered by the digital era, the Master in Fintech trains young professionals to act as a link between the management and the computer scientists, taking part in the development of new digital financial businesses.

Thanks to Bologna Business School’s numerous collaborations with leading players in the digital sector, these new generation of managers, equally grounded on financial competencies and on new technologies, will be able to anticipate, intercept, and exploit the new trends in the financial industry. The explosion of digital technologies in the financial markets has generated an enormous need for figures at ease both with traditional financial competencies, as well as in translating them in new digital solutions and applications. Students are offered an innovative cross-sector didactical approach, capable of granting them a strong competitive advantage, while responding to a new need of the market.

The Master in Fintech is designed for graduate students with excellent knowledge of English, interested in the financial technology sector (“fintech”), as they will learn along with the traditional finance skills, new competencies in new technologies such as AI, big data analytics, blockchain, with the prospect of professional growth in managerial functions connecting technical specialists and finance departments. The program, which is entirely in English, includes two classroom-based terms and concludes with a final internship of 500 hours.

Traditional financial institutions and Fintech startups need new professionals in order to translate the digital transformation in a competitive advantage: get in touch with the course program manager to become a key actor of this transformation.

" The technological innovation will profoundly change the structure of the financial market and only through the deep understanding of the digital technological innovations will be possible to survive and compete with new business modes. Today the market players, banks and insurance companies have a huge advantage of position and protection which is provided by the rules system. However, the speed of change can risk the survival of profitable business areas. "

Structure

The Master in Finance and Fintechis a 12-month full-time program including an internship or project work (total length: 1500 working hours).

The academic part is divided into two terms. You will cover 1000 hours of study: 400 hours of classroom activities and 600 hours of individual/group work. The Master offers a series of pre-courses at the start of the academic schedule:DBMS Systems and SQL language, Exploratory data analysis, Principles of programming (Python language)

First term: November 2019 – March 2020

Kick Off & Ice-Breaking activities

Second term: March 2020 – June 2020

Internship: June 2020 – November 2020

Practical Experience

Final Project

The two terms are followed by an internship period of 500 working hours. This internship can be carried out at various companies and agencies in Italy or abroad. You are expected to make the most of these opportunities by learning from the professionals you will be working with.

At the end of the internship you will be required to hand in a ‘Final Report’, which you will present to the Director of Studies showcasing your activities and analyzing the theories and lessons learned during the academic part.

Students who are interested can also choose to take an extracurricular course of Italian.

COURSES

The role of IT into banking industry is dramatic and innovative at the same time. Banking business models are redesigning by new paradigms: they will impact to strategies and operational perspectives. Banking players need to be into the new picture, supported by new toolkit able to combine the current landscape with new technologies.

Last but not least, ITC firms, media networks, and Big techs companies are the new entrants into financial services arena. FinTech emerging applications are disruptive forces capable to transforming the financial services industry by making transactions faster, cheaper, more secure and transparent. Our banking course delivers a general framework of financial industry and provide some specific knowledge into the disruptive innovation in terms of organization/processes/infrastructures/applications.

This course provides an alternative approach to the study of financial markets: behavioral finance. This approach starts with an observation that the assumptions of investor rationality are overwhelmingly contradicted by both psychological research and empirical evidence. The course gives an introduction into this field and includes results from behavioral finance that help to understand many puzzles in traditional finance. The psychology of dealing with automated financial counterparts/advisors as opposed to humans will also be discussed.

The digital revolution has led to an explosion in the amount of available data and information (Big Data), the ability to analyze and correlate this information is becoming a fundamental element to an enterprise’s competitiveness and a new source of economic value and innovation. Big Data, however, is unable to be managed properly by using traditional instruments of Information Technologies because of their size, their heterogeneity and their many peculiarities. For this reason, new architectures, methodologies and tools are being created for data scientists to transform this data into value for the company and to support the decision-making process. This course will analyze the various types of data available, technical access to information, methods to handle them and the architectures and tools to store and process them.

The course discusses some relevant themes related to blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies, ICOs, smart contracts and novel applications that can be built over the blockchain. Bitcoin and novel cryptocurrencies gathered momentum in the last months. More and more investors look with interest at these technologies, while others label them as a dangerous speculative bubble. The truth is that the blockchain, and the alternative implementations of a distributed ledger, represent very innovative technologies, that can be exploited to build novel distributed applications. Moreover, the possibility of creating smart contracts, running on top of the blockchain, permits trusted interactions and agreements among different (and possibly anonymous) parties, without the need for a central authority. This course will illustrate the main principles and conceptual foundations of the blockchain and smart contracts.

Over the last decade sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices have become paramount for companies as well as for the society at large. Although most companies have developed sustainability programs over the years, as they are cutting carbon emissions, reducing waste, and otherwise enhancing operational efficiency, we are witnessing a mishmash of sustainability tactics that does not add up to a sustainable strategy. To endure, a sustainable strategy has to cope with the competing – and apparently divergent – interests of all stakeholders: investors, employees, customers, governments, NGOs, society and the natural environment.

The purpose of this course is to initiate a debate around the role and functioning of modern corporations as sustainability challenges, opportunities and solutions emerge. In particular, the objective of the course is to detail and disentangle the links between sustainability, CSR and the key role that digital technologies can play as a mean to translate sustainable strategies into effective outcomes.

Within this perspective, three major learning outcomes are expected:

To allow students to gain a solid and robust understanding of what sustainability and corporate social responsibility mean in a business context;

To allow students to understand key approaches and frameworks for measuring and reporting sustainability and CSR in organizations;

To gain an understanding of what sustainability oriented innovation means and how it can be applied to a digital organizational context.

In order to achieve these objectives the course will combine (i) case studies and whole class discussion; (ii) talks by business leaders and managers dealing with sustainability issues; (iii) lectures.

Models and methods for knowledge extraction from databases. Study of different types of data and methods of pre-treatment. The functions of Data Mining. Supervised and unsupervised learning. Algorithms and methods for constructing classification models. Clustering algorithms. Algorithms for discovering association rules. Methods for evaluating the quality of data mining results. Data mining laboratory in order to apply the studied methods.

The digitization of the economy is one of the most relevant issues of our time. The objective of this course is to analyze how digital economy has fundamentally challenged traditional business models and created new business opportunities. We will start with a brief introduction of the digital economy and then analyze the specific business strategies adopted by the different players in this ecosystem, specifically platforms. We will also discuss the implications for public policy and regulation. In particular, we will consider whether new business practices and contracts in the digital economy are beneficial or detrimental to society. Real case studies related to Amazon, Airbnb, Booking.com, Facebook, Google, Uber, and others, will be analyzed.

The course focuses on the finance aspects following the life cycle of young and innovative ventures from their start-up. These young ventures usually require substantial outside financing in early stages to eventually create employment, growth, social contributions and tax revenues in their future. Bank financing is hardly available for these ventures and therefore, all funds need to be raised from other sources, e.g. friends and family, business angels, or from professional financial intermediaries, so-called venture capital and private equity funds. Besides those traditional channels, ventures can raise funds from “the crowd” using digital platforms (crowdfunding) or blockchain-based technologies (ICOs).

This course will provide students with an overview of financial markets and the valuation of securities. The course will start presenting the financial system and a taxonomy of the type of securities traded in financial markets. The single asset classes will be then studied, including fixed-income and money market securities, equity instruments, mutual funds, financial derivatives, and hybrids.

Since the first mechanical automations of the 17th century, one of the great dreams of the humanity has been the construction of machines exhibiting human behaviors and intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a discipline whose goal is to realize this dream by using the most different techniques, from symbolic computation based on logic to sub-symbolic models inspired by the structure of the brain, such as neural networks.

The last few years have witnessed a sensational exploit of AI applications in many different fields - with a relevant growth of investments - inducing many experts to believe that the dream will come true in a short time.

This is inducing many companies to reconsider their business strategies and, more generally, requires a deep rethinking of several crucial aspects of our society.

The course will provide an introductory overview of the various existing AI techniques, focusing on their industrial applications, discussing future opportunities and challenges, touching also on some social, economic and ethic implications.

It’s undeniable that mankind strive to build unbreakable systems, even if human history has demonstrated so far that this is nothing more than a myth. The real world is mainly made of fragile systems, so that reality is much different from the expectations.

The goal of this course is to provide a basic knowledge concerning the main concepts and principles of computer security (e.g. risk, tools for risk assessment and evaluation, attacks and their typical structure, resources, functional systems requirements, human component). In this way, the course will provide the basic tools for the design and implementation of reasonably secure systems. During this process, either methodological, technological and behavioral (i.e. operation security) aspects will be considered.

After the course, the students should be able to critically evaluate the security of a (computer) system considering both the system as a whole and its main separated components (e.g. authentication and authorization mechanisms and procedures). They will also be able to find the main vulnerabilities of such a system and to identify the more appropriate countermeasures to allow the mitigation of vulnerabilities and reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

The goals described above will be obtained not only by teaching some of the main theoretical aspects of computer security but also by describing and discussing many real world examples in detail.

The approach and the tools learned during this course are prerequisites for the following “Cryptographic Protocols” and “Computer, Network and Cloud Security” courses.

This course provides a brief introduction to machine learning for statistical pattern recognition. Topics include: a background on decision and supervised learning theory, classic generative and discriminative models, support vector machines, neural networks, ensemble methods and model selection practices. The course also puts emphasis on the application of these models and techniques to practical problems drawing on (Python) code examples and exercises.

This course aims at presenting the new emerging trends in the financial industries. Peer-to-peer lending, mobile payments, blockchain-based trading and the impact of new technologies on insurance and regulation are some of the topics that will be discussed through a case-based approach presented by fintech industry leaders.

Antonio Arfè

Learning method

The main aim of our teaching staff is to first lay down a solid grounding of theory and then to build on this foundation by introducing more practical aspects. This method will result in you confidently entering the work environment of this industry, ready to deal with any scenario you will face.

The teaching staff will help you grasp these concepts and techniques through the use of lectures and seminars; group projects and company visits; guest speakers and case studies; videos and presentations; as well as individual assignments and assisted private studying.

The courses are structured to give the maximum freedom to learn to the students and allow the professors to teach and assess the students in the best way possible. Assessments can take the form of individual/group presentations, projects, oral and written exams as well as, of course, class participation.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The integration with companies is a priority and an ever-present feature of all programs of the Bologna Business School, hence for the Master in Finance and Fintech too.

The School is fully committed to creating employability, by way of a systematic career service action, constantly focused on matching at best the students’ professional projects with the needs companies have.

The internship is an exceptional springboard, suffice it to say that six months after the end of the full-time masters at Bologna Business School on average 91% of students work in a company.

The BBS Career Service assists and supports students since the very beginning, along a training and professional development path. This is accomplished by organizing a series of workshops, with the aim of providing the fundamental tools and resources to be appropriately prepared for the labor market.

To achieve this goal, students are involved in several workshops, among which we may list:

Writing a CV and a Cover Letter

How to create an effective Linkedin profile

How to prepare for a job interview

In addition to this, thanks to the collaboration with professional career counselors, students receive a customized service, in order to understand their strengths and to build a professional development plan, which will turn out to be helpful when looking for an internship. Here follow some of the activities:

Initial guidance interviews

Specific interviews, focused on one’s own career plan

Continuous support to students with one – to – one sessions

Technology has become an integral part of finance, transforming it into fertile ground for curious minds, problem solvers and strategists. It calls out entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who thrive tackling cross-functional problems. Programs like BBS Master in Finance and Fintech can help in developing adaptable skills to navigate the digital, rapidly evolving world of finance.

Reeta Hemminki, Senior Analyst, Credit Data Research

There are many Fintech companies out there looking for people like you, so don’t be afraid to approach them. Experience is not so relevant, it’s about the willingness to learn, the passion to make a difference, the desire to build the future instead of revisiting the past or sitting on your laurels.

Candice Koo, Co-founder and MD, CANCAN Global payments and promotions

COMPANIES

The goal of the Career Service is also to allow students to connect with national and international companies. Over the years, Bologna Business School has managed to establish a wide-ranging network and a sound partnership with leading companies in Italy, thanks to a personalized approach, based on each company’s needs. The collaboration features the following activities:

Sending the CV book

Sharing internship and work opportunities

Presentations at the School premises

Career Day

Implementation of project works

Class-room activities with case studies presented by managers and/or HR professionalsOur partners are the foremost supporters of our students, with the provision of scholarships, internships and professional opportunities.

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First Name*

Last Name*

Birth date (dd/mm/yyyy)

Nationality

Email*

Mobile

How did you learn of this program?*

Acknowledging to have received the privacy policy, in compliance with the provisions of the regulations on personal data protection in force and, in particular, of European Regulation no. 679/2016, the undersigned

declares to have read and understood the policy on the processing of personal data contained in
the following link to the privacy policy.

Gives his/her consent to
Does not give her/her consent

to the processing of personal data for informative and promotional purposes as described in the privacy policy, to be informed about events organized, activities, services, commercial and promotional offers of BBS, including the newsletter service, including through automated communication methods.

Gives his/her consent to
Does not give her/her consent

to the processing of personal data for informative and promotional purposes as described in the privacy policy by profiling, allowing BBS to examine their personal preferences, interests and their educational, curricular and professional history in order to optimize the services offered by BBS and provide personalized offers and promotions.

Gives his/her consent to
Does not give her/her consent

to the processing of personal data for the purpose of realizing statistics and market research as described in the privacy policy, also in aggregated form and by profiling, to improve the services offered and to evaluate the efficiency and satisfaction levels of the Courses, Masters or events offered by BBS.

FEES

The tuition fees for the Master is 14,800 euro (VAT free) to be paid in three installments:

First installment: 1,850 euros

Second installment: 7,000 euros

Third installment: 5,950 euros

The fee includes participation in the Master, all the study material available through the online platform, and access to the services and facilities of Bologna Business School such as: personal account for the Alma wi-fi, use of the PCs in the Computer Lab, access to the study areas, access to the internal gym, special rates for the School restaurant. Furthermore, the fee gives participants the right to take advantage of the supporting activities of the School, such as the language courses and the master lectures by invitation. Free parking is also available within BBS Campus.

Additionally, with the Student Card of the University of Bologna, students have access to all of the university facilities, including over 100 libraries, digital resources and study halls (including databases and online subscriptions); the three city center canteens and all university student related discount offers. More information is available on the site of the University of Bologna: http://www.unibo.it/it/servizi-e-opportunita

HONOR LOAN

Thanks to the agreement between Bologna Business School and Intesa Sanpaolo, participants are eligible to apply for “PerTe Prestito Con Lode”, a long-term and low-interest honor loan. Main characteristics:

Reduced interest rate

No collateral required

Repayable in 10 years

No early closing fees

SCHOLARSHIPS

At Bologna Business School we understand the importance of financial aid in supporting our students to achieve their educational goals. We are aware that an advanced, high quality training path can be a significant commitment, at the same time we also truly believe that investing in one’s future always pays back.

Bologna Business School is pleased to offer partial scholarships to the most meriting students. All of these scholarships are merit-based and will be awarded to the top-ranked candidates in the selection process. The students who come out on top in the selections will be students who not only come from strong academic or practical backgrounds but also those who display the strongest motivation to take part in this program.

There are scholarships of 4.000 euros and scholarships of 6.000 euros. All applicants will be considered for a scholarship – no specific application is required. They are awarded over the course of every round of selection and if you have performed well enough to merit one of them, you will be informed at the moment of admission.

The scholarships act as tuition waivers, so that they result in a deduction of the total amount of the tuition fees due.

Signed copies of your enrolment summary sheet and receipt for the application fee (both are downloadable from ‘studenti online’ website following registration). The selection process will be held at Bologna Business School. The selections for the first round will take place on May 2019, the selections for the second round will take place on July 2019, while the selections for the third round will take place on October 2019.
In line with the number of available places, admission to the program is granted according to the position on the list of qualified candidates, drawn up on the basis of the total score awarded at the end of the admissions process. Detailed information on the requirements and application process are available in the “Official Call for Applications” downloadable below.

Faculty

Faculty members at Bologna Business School work together offering outstanding teaching standards. An international and interdisciplinary approach is guaranteed by a joint team of distinguished national core professors, adjunct, visiting professors, guest speakers and top managers.